veteran resources

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Did you know you can have VA Health Care without a disability rating? Well, if you served honorably on active duty for at least 36 months and separated or retired honorably, you qualify for VA health care! VA health care meets the minimum coverage of health care needed by law. That means you don't necessarily need to pay out of pocket for Health Care!

• VA Health Care Application

Filing for VA Disability (Quick Guide)

• Step 1 - Find a Veteran Service Officer near you! VSOs are very useful because they review your records and help you fill out the paperwork you need to submit for your claim! Most VSO's are completely free! 
• Step 2 - Gather all of your medical records and make copies of everything! If you can't find paperwork on a particular injury that occurred while you were in, try contacting that particular clinic or hospital directly. Additionally, you can file something called a Buddy Statement (Form VBA-21-4138-ARE). Buddy Statements are useful but optional documents that allow for a Battle buddy, roommate, supervisor, etc. to fill out on your behalf. For example, if you have no record of a knee injury, but one of your coworkers remembers you being injured, they can verify that it happened while in service!
• Step 3 - Fill-out and submit VA Disability Claim Form 21-526EZ to the VA! This is the form that gets the ball rolling! You can do this online by clicking on the link, or send a paper copy to:

Department of Veterans Affairs

Claims Intake Center

PO Box 4444

Janesville, WI 53547-4444

Note: Remember, NEVER send the only copy of a form or record!

What Happens Next?

Once the VA receives your forms and records, they will upload your claim to the VA website under Claims and Appeals. Then either the VA or a contracting company will reach out to you to schedule your medical exams. Remember to be early for all of your appointments, and if you need to reschedule, do it a couple days before if possible. If you miss an appointment, the VA can throw out your claim and you'll have to start over.

Once all of your appointments are completed, the VA will review your claims and make a decision. This can take months, so be patient! It doesn't hurt to contact the VA or the contracting company to ask if they received everything they need for the claim. They may request additional information or records, which can typically be uploaded electronically on the VA website. Once a final decision and rating is applied, you'll see that on the same Claims and Appeals page!